One Sopranos to go...

...and then this "season" is over, until 2007 at least. That last episode is going to have to be one for the ages to bring this show back to the top of my list of favorites. And unless AJ dies a painful death next Sunday, I just don't expect that to happen.

Even through this subpar season, there have been some great jewels of dialogue (always the strength of the show, in my opinion). One that I'll definitely have to add to the lexicon...

Tony (to AJ after he disrespects his mother)
"You know, if it wasn't for that women in there, I'd have knocked out all of your baby teeth with one shot."

There have been some other television surprises though. The Sundance Channel has been airing City of Men on Tuesday nights. This is the television series follow up to the superb film City of God, and follows the adventures of two young boys living in Rio de Janeiro's favelas. Most of the actors from City of God are also on this show, a gorgeous single-camera outing that first appeared on the BBC almost two years ago. Better late than never...

Focus, Kemp, focus...

Okay, so I really have to buckle down for the month of June. I have a personal goal of July 1 to complete my new spec, and I'm deep into the writing process now. My friends already know that I make probably the most detailed step outlines on Earth, and I finally got the step outline for this one nice and tight a couple weeks ago. Turning the corner into Act 2 now. Just need to take a deep breath, lock the doors and push towards the finish line. Don't know why, but I'm just really excited about this one. (which, considering my general attitude of indifference, is saying a lot) Since no one actually hires you to write a spec, I've made it a personal goal to have every new spec be better than the last one. So far, I've been successful, but my last spec was incredibly well received when it made the rounds, so I was really thrilled when this idea popped into my head that I thought was even better. Of course, actually executing that idea is the big challenge, isn't it?

I'm thinking of starting up a writing group. I'll ask around, and if any other friends have specs underway, maybe we can bounce some scenes off one another. I'm used to working my entire life in a vaacum, but with screenplays it's always nice to get outside input. We'll see...

Doing It For Money...

...that's the title of a new book about the trials and tribulations of screenwriting I just finished reading. It was quite enjoyable. I picked up the book less because I wanted to be inspired and/or frightened by the tales from Hollywood's successful screenwriters, and more because the editor, Daryl G. Nickens, was one of the instructors at the Cosby Screenwriting Fellowship I took at USC in 2005. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, Daryl's personality is the exact opposite of what one would expect from a working screenwriter. I swear, the guy doesn't seem to have a self-loathing bone in his body, and that's quite a refreshing thing considering the bitterness you encounter when chatting with other screenwriters. There's certainly a fine line between amusing self-deprecation and depressing self-loathing...I freely admit that I'm a frequent visitor to both of those places.

As for my own writing, my experiences over the past few months have definitely left me with a sunny disposition for the moment. I'm plowing along on my new spec, which should be completed by the first week of July (give or take a week...er...month), and I'm feeling confident that, if I don't screw it up, it will be even better received than my last one. Hell, maybe it'll even sell.

The general meetings have been interesting, and I've even made a few meaningful contacts. I feel like I've sat in every producer's office in town. At the the very least, my knowledge of the workings of Hollywood is increasing exponentially.

And I'm even up for a potential feature writing assignment. I should know whether or not I get it within the next week. I'm pretty excited about it though. It's a project I'm very passionate about, I think my take is unique and I think I can EXECUTE exactly the story that I pitched. I also really like the other things (film and television) this producer has done, and this appears to be a project that will very likely get made. Even being considered for such assignments is encouraging, considering it has only been three years since I started taking this "hobby" of mine seriously. We'll see if it bears fruit.